00:00We've got the Dodgers taking on the Atlanta Braves, Joe.
00:03It is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and he will take on Chris Sale.
00:09I know those are the starters, and you were talking off the air a little bit with me
00:13just about the state of where these bullpens are at.
00:16So is it possible that both starting pitchers are going to be forced to go deeper into the game
00:22maybe than we expect in this game?
00:26I see pretty much minus 110 on both sides.
00:30In this game.
00:30But, hey, Yamamoto's been pitching great.
00:33Sale is obviously awesome.
00:34Both these guys are going to be inside the top five in the Cy Young Award.
00:37I do think the Miz wins the Cy Young, but these two guys are having a great year, too.
00:42Yeah, they absolutely are.
00:43I mean, it's a pitching battle of the night, but, you know, there's a lot of spots here
00:49where the Dodgers are plus money with Yamamoto on the mound.
00:52How many times this year do you think we've seen that?
00:56Never.
00:57Zero.
00:58Zero.
00:58And you're talking about an Atlanta Braves team, and they've had some teams over the years,
01:03but they have not actually swept the Dodgers in any series since 2013, Craig.
01:09And they're on the verge of doing it here tonight, despite the fact that they have had
01:14every break known to mankind in the first two games of this series, which, by the way,
01:21they're not winning 11-1.
01:22You know, they've won in the ninth inning, they had a walk-off the other night with a
01:26guy that hasn't hit a home run in nine months.
01:29You know, this is, when you got it rolling, you got it rolling.
01:33But as good as Chris Sale has been, and he's been fantastic, that bullpen has gotten worked
01:39a little bit trying to hold leads in these last couple of games.
01:43So I looked at the total at six and a half, because you don't see many six and a halves.
01:49But the pitching, the starting pitching certainly warrants that price, Craig.
01:53But the problem is, unless these guys are going eight innings, at some point, the bullpens have
01:59to get involved again here.
02:01And both lineups aren't slouches.
02:03So, you know, as good as these starting pitchers have been, both lineups are more than capable.
02:09Dodgers, certainly capable and very capable.
02:12I think 117 WRC plus against lefties on the season.
02:16It's not like you're going to be fooling them.
02:19And Yamamoto, I think, has 12 or 13 innings in his career against Atlanta.
02:25And I don't think he's given up an earned run yet.
02:27So this is setting up for a great starting pitching battle.
02:33I worry about the under once the bullpens get involved, which, unless both guys are going
02:38nine innings, but against these lineups, I don't think that's happening either.
02:42No, I don't think so.
02:43That's a great point.
02:44Yeah, I do think that, you know, if I kind of look a little bit deeper into the matchup,
02:49is it possible with everything that is, you know, is sort of on the line the rest of the
02:55year with the Dodgers, is it possible that the Dodgers are even a dog in any game the
03:01rest of the year?
03:02You know, not just with Yamamoto.
03:04Like, I'm looking at their schedule here, and I'm, you know, I see San Diego maybe in
03:09a spot.
03:09But, I mean, just for the most part, I think they're going to be favored.
03:12So if you're feeling, you know, like L.A., you're never going to get plus money on them,
03:17maybe this is the night to do it, certainly.
03:20And as you said, yeah, they definitely can mash a little bit against lefties.
03:24But I don't know that that's a huge factor, because the Dodgers are just going to hit
03:28anyone.
03:28But I'm, you know, obviously very impressed with Yamamoto.
03:33Usually guys that pitch deep into the postseason, like Yamamoto did, and then actually pitch
03:38like the last game of the World Series, usually those guys take a little bit of a hit the
03:42next year.
03:43He took no hit whatsoever, maybe a little bit of a slow start in April.
03:46But beyond that, still one of the very best pitchers in baseball.
03:49And I would probably guess that at the very worst, he'll finish third in the NL Cy Young
03:55Award this year, Joe.
03:56He's really come on.
03:58Well, and he has already proven how many times in big games when the spotlight's the brightest,
04:03who do you want?
04:04You know, the Dodgers don't get swept.
04:07And the Dodgers, Atlanta has done it since 2013.
04:10So I tend to think it's the right guy at the right time.
04:15And it's funny, he gives credit, Craig, to the Hunter Fiducia, I think, is how you say
04:21his last name.
04:22Yes.
04:23Backup catcher that apparently Yamamoto loves and says that this is the guy really.
04:29He's, you know, I have been as good as I have been because this guy's behind the plate
04:33calling it.
04:34So that's a very fascinating relationship to me, that whole Yamamoto backup catcher situation.
04:41We've seen it before throughout the years.
04:43But man, that's real interesting here with the Dodgers, how they have this set up with
04:47him.
04:48Yeah, Fiducia was with the Dodgers last season.
04:51He got a World Series ring and then he was on Tampa Bay this year.
04:56And I think you're right, Joe.
04:58I think the Dodgers may have gotten him back for that reason.
05:00And then the Rays, the Rays just needed some sort of offense from their catchers.
05:05They decided they couldn't roll with Fiducia and Nick Fortes.
05:08And then they acquired Miami's Liam Hicks.
05:10And boy, has he been on a tear since he has joined Tampa Bay.
05:14So it worked out, I think, for both sides.
05:16The other part of this, Joe, is that you never know if the Dodgers make this deal if
05:20Will Smith is 100% healthy or Dalton Rushing is 100% healthy.
05:25Like maybe that never happens for Yamamoto.
05:27But if he is going to shove with that guy, as you said, behind the plate, there's no
05:32question that the Dodgers will sacrifice the offense because Fiducia doesn't really give
05:36you almost any offense at all.
05:39But look, those guys, Joe, they last around the league forever.
05:42You know, if you're a personal catcher of one of the best pitchers in baseball, you're
05:46around for 20 years if you want to be.
05:51And yeah, so I guess that's part.
05:52I mean, just think about A.J.
05:54Ellis.
05:54He was the catcher for, if I'm not mistaken, Kershaw for 10 years or 15 years.
06:00Or was it Barnes?
06:01One of those two guys.
06:02Just like they were around just forever, like doing nothing.
06:05It's a great gig to have if you could get it.
